Thanks for the sharing and the support in 2023 and big thanks to our first guest who performed for us in November, Nick Toczek.
Grand Plans excitement for 2024:
I had ideas of mainly local poets but a lot further afield have said Yes too, so these are the plans for 2024 so far:
January 14th open mic only
February 11th Abbi Senior
March 10th Emma Purshouse and Steve Pottinger
April 14th Tim Brookes
May 12th Matt Panesh
June 9th Tony Brough
July 14th Penny Blackburn
Note date change: August 4th Barry Fentiman-Hall
September 8th Lateral G
October 13th David Driver
November 10th Trystan Lewis
December 8th open mic only
I have booked some local people with new books and haven’t space to book everyone I want to. Plan to start with alternate month guests but there was a lot of interest so I expanded that.
I will share bios and photos of the guests soon.
Venue – The Sair, Linthwaite, Huddersfield, HD7 5SG
6-8pm Sunday evenings. No food available. There is a Premier shop at the bottom of the hill which is open 24/7 for sandwiches, cakes, pasties, etc.
Public transport: Train to Huddersfield and then 5 minute walk to bus station and 185 bus and 3 minute walk up steep hill or 184 bus and 3 minute walk down steep hill. These buses usually run hourly at the weekend.
On guest nights there will be the hat of I can afford that (and I also have a card machine) to pay our guests . The hat will also be available on open mic only nights to pay for host costs of card, ink, blutac and bus travel to advertise the events.
Access details: Ground floor event. Parking limited. 1 step and two doors into the venue, Toilet is quite narrow.
Please also support the pub by buying a drink and/or snacks. Soft drinks are available.
Matt Panesh, poet, mastermind, whirlwind and festival visionary
The Winter Gardens – Venue – grand, shabby, imbued in history
Johnny’s Bar – Venue – where we build new histories and the audience are warm and lift up every performer
Friday launch and evening
Rob Barratt, the opening poemPete the Temp takes us from Homer to hip-hopHenry Normal makes me laugh and cryHenry with balaclavaBrian Bilston in the wild 1Brian Bilston in the wild 2
Back in Johnny’s for the evening
Clare Ferguson Walker was a joy to photograph, a new friend
Clare Ferguson Walker, a joy to photograph and a new friendRob Barratt, we are now treated to a full setThick Richard and his robot and more… Look at that creepy neck!Thanks Thick Richard!
Apologies, right near the beginning of this blog, to those I missed over the weekend because I needed air or snacks, or was carried into conversation xxx
So, I didn’t catch absolutely everyone I wanted to with the festival running from midday until 2am each day. I am sorry I missed some friends performing, but so happy I got to see them and catch up. It was difficult to choose between supporting people I had seen before and seeing people new to me. The quality was so consistently high. But, I also wanted to chat and catch up with friends and make new ones, get books signed and drink in the September air and feel the rain on my skin.
I had some moments where I had to be outside in daylight and air for a while. I walked on the beach a little and I did venture into the arcade for a short time.
Saturday start with Dommy B and John Hegley – both were their usual joyful, energetic, engaging selves
Dommy BDommy BDommy B John HegleyJohn HegleyBen WillemsBen WillemsBen WillemsKate MillingtonKate MillingtonNina LewisNina LewisTrystan Lewis, stellar stand-inTrystan Lewis
Firstly, we sorely missed Barry Fentiman Hall who had to cancel the day before the event. I am hoping we both make it there next year.
Trystan Lewis
However, the brilliant Trystan Lewis, who I meet at the first Morecambe Poetry Festival in 2022 and I knew he was good then and he has been getting about and reading in many places over the last 12 months.
He has great rhythm and internal rhyme: ‘I’ve been through the data of the traces left behind’ ‘not been honest with/in their sonnets of romance’ and I found this line beguiling: ‘If you can gaze upon the frightening face of this Medusa, full-square in the eyes and still not be turned to stone’
And ‘Don’t tell Dad!’ is a well-crafted poem of gradual progress and subtle evolution of a relationship between Dad and child. Moving and relatable. The flip to ‘Don’t tell the kids!’ is flooring. ‘Don’t tell the kids that we looked at the screen and we pointed at the shadows and they told us what they mean.’
Nina Lewis
Nina is a friend from Swindon Poetry Festival volunteering days and is based in the Midlands, so it was great to have chance to catch up and hear some new poetry from Nina and some from her V Press book, ‘Fragile’ and share late night toast, chatting and sharing poems in the Air B and B kitchen until the early hours.
Kate Millington
I met Kate when she came to perform at the Huddersfield slam in 2022. Her poetry is an important, honest and moving account of childlessness and Kate shared poems from her book, ‘Imprint’ (Fawn Press).
‘I orbit what I lack’ was a compelling refrain and I felt the fact it kept repeating echoed the way the lack arises in life, but then is forgotten, to arise again later.
Other people seem to judge or guess at the lack of a child and make assumptions about choices and know the way life ‘should’ be lived.
I love the fact Kate leaves us with the warmth of ‘green footprints in the snow.’
Ben Willems
Ben is an old Manchester poetry friend and I invited him because I am never quite what he will bring to the event, but I do know it will be brilliant, surprising and entertaining. I was not disappointed.
Ben’s set was playful and rhythmic and lines that grabbed me the most were these:
‘All masks are animal bat cave silhouettes.
All howls are answerable just let it rise’
and his play was no more evident than in the poem ‘Newton for Hyde’.
Is started with: ‘Hyde’s for bitter… and ended with these lines ‘…for newt of eye eye is for apple apple for Newton Newton for Hyde Newton for Hyde Newton for Hyde Newton for Hyde’.
My set
I shared poems of beer and connection, 90s indie gigs and the sea. The audience was so warm and respectful, yet loud in their appreciation with whoops and applause. I reckon the biggest and best audience I have ever performed to.
Thanks to Louise Hart for these photos and to Matt for the loveliest intro and for inviting us to be part of the festival.
Best Intro everMe
A little Born Lippy
I caught a little Born Lippy before getting out to walk the shore and breathe the sea air for a bit.
Midlands Takeover
Steve Pottinger and Emma Purshouse are good friends who became even closer friends over lockdown as they hosted workshops and events online. I made many new friends through these online connections. I am ever so grateful some of their events continue to be online and hybrid as well as them having returned to real life hosting too. I realise how much hard work online events are – I find them more difficult than live events to host, personally. I met Richard Temple in the audience on the Friday night and enjoyed his set.
Richard
Scouse Takeover
Another treat for the evening with good Manchester friends, Jackie Hagan and Gerry Potter who both owned the stage of the Winter Gardens. I was delighted to see and hear Jackie as Jackie has not been performing for a few years. Then, Roger McGough took to the stage. I loved his coat and is poetry was all I expected and more. All the poets in this takeover were humorous, relatable and unflinching in places.
Roger and Henry chat (Q & A) and the most amusing part of the festival for me – when I was talking with Manchester poets outside I return to my table to find Roger and Henry are in my seat!
My seat on the leftGo outside to chat to Manchester friends…Roger and Henry have arrived 🙂
Welsh Takeover
After queuing for books to be signed by Roger and Henry and Gerry (I already have all Jackie’s books) I managed to catch some of the Welsh takeover.
DesGemmaDominic
Sunday – the final day
Rose Condo – How to feed an artist poetry and a roast dinner for all
After an interesting and useful symposium on how to make poetry walk in the UK Rose nurtured the artist in all of us. We got to blow bubbles, drink water and think about it’s origin and think about giving more and what that means.
Barney Hallman – German takeover
Barney was a new entity to me and I was mesmerised by this bundle of bright joy who was performing a poem about an uncertain snail for us. Also, loved the fact that when I had one of my request songs played he knew every word to The Sultan’s of Ping ‘Where’s me Jumper?’ and we danced and sang enthusiastically in our separate corners of the almost empty Johnny’s as one of the last moments of the festival.
The 4 Johns – Hull Takeover
Several Hull friends I hadn’t seen for a while were some of the 4 Johns. These four performers were a very different style to each other pulled together by the fact they were all sitting in a cafe doing puzzles or reading the paper and drinking tea.
Joy France and Skully
I thought first of all this would be Joy and a puppet or robot, turns out Skully is a person and they are battle-rapping emotional material on stage and it ended with a hug. Brilliant!
Manc Takeover
Sadly, Tony Curry could not make it over. However, it was so good to see and hear Chris Jam for the first time since lockdown and Rowland Crowland for the first time in a year.
Word Walkers launch of zine and absent friends poem
Big White Shed hosted the launch of the festival zine that was made from poems written on the Saturday morning and printed over the weekend.
Carol Ann Duffy and Jackie Kay
Our final event at the Winter Gardens and consistently good poetry shared by an ex poet-laureate and Makar.
The final evening
Sorry I didn’t get photos of everyone – was flagging a little by this point in the weekend. It was great to see friends, Rich, Oz and Gordon Zola up on stage doing their thing again and new friend, Beth.
RichRichOzOzGordon ZolaBeth Hartley
Matt Panesh – Final poet
And, what better to way to finish the festival than with some poems from Matt Panesh, himself? The audience was still as warm and loud as ever until the final applause.
A little dancing & some last photos with wings and Walter’s coat
How much love was there? A love poem to Morecambe Poetry Festival 2023
There was love in the form of water
in small paper cups.
If you took every tea-pot, wine glass, champagne flute,
every tankard and every barrel of Fosters, Smiths, Neck Oil,
every bubble tub on every table
you would still not be able to contain it.
You can’t buy this or bottle it.
This love is bounding out
like a puppy eager to greet you.
It hugs long and true
like a bear.
It is like a sunset at high-tide
taken through The Picture-Frame.
It is a view that cannot be improved
or imagined without immersion.
Like swimming in the Irish Sea
and shivering at the thrill of icy brine.
This love is like having your request played by the D.J.
Workshop 1030am-midday. Showcase and open mic 1.30-4pmFREE EVENTS
Quiet CompereCo-host Barry Fentiman-Hall
Book here: 01634 337799 or visit any Medway Library
Please note spaces for the workshop and open mic are limited and we could do with having an idea of the audience capacity so please book as audience too.
Co-Host
Barry Fentiman-Hall is a Medway based poet and mythwalker who is an indeterminate fraction of Wordsmithery. He is also the editor of Confluence Magazine. His works include City Without A Head (2013), The Unbearable Sheerness Of Being (2016), England, My Dandelion Heart (2018) and Sketches (2020) which are all available from www.wordsmithery.info/books He has an affinity with hares, cats and moomins.
Showcase Performers
Setareh Ebrahimi is an Iranian-British poet. She has been published numerous times in journals and magazines, including Proletarian Poetry, The Menteur and Ink Sweat & Tears.
Setareh released her first pamphlet of poetry, In My Arms, from Bad Betty Press and her full-length collection, Galloping Horses, from Wordsmithery. She regularly performs her poetry in Kent and London, has hosted her own poetry evenings and leads writing workshops. Setareh is currently an editor at Whisky & Beards Press and a reviewer at Confluence magazine.
Katy Evans-Bush is the author of two poetry collections from Salt, and a pamphlet, Broken Cities (Smith|Doorstop, 2017). Her former blog, Baroque in Hackney (‘The Guardian of poetry blogs’ — Roddy Lumsden), was shortlisted for the George Orwell Prize for political writing, and her essays, Forgive the Language, are published by Penned in the Margins. She is writing a book on the rise of hidden homelessness and the housing crisis (for CB Editions), and a new poetry collection. Her Substack page is A Room of Someone Else’s. She is a freelance poetry tutor and editor, and lives in Faversham.
Christopher Hopkins is Welsh writer living in the Canterbury area of Kent, England. His poems have been published in The Honest Ulsterman, The New European, Morning Star, 14 Magazine (Vanguard Readings), The Cortland Review, Indianapolis Review and Rust + Moth. He has three chapbooks with Clare Songbirds Publishing House, New York.
Clair Meyrick is a mother, poet, performer and artist. She regularly performs poetry in and around Kent and London. She also has a regular slot on radio. Published in a couple of journals and online she is now looking forward to illustrating her first collection of poetry, combining her love of painting and words.
My name is Nathaniel Oguns
An actor and a poet. I’ve lived in Kent for most of my adult life. I came to Kent from South East London. At first it was hard to adjust to this quiet area. The atmosphere and the pace of everything felt strange to me but now it’s become home.
After doing a creative writing course I was inspired to start poetry nights in the heart of Rochester. For spoken word artists and poets. It’s called ‘Kent Dreams’. So follow your dreams and use your gifts to inspire others. That’s my motto.
Nina Telegina
Nina Telegina is a poet, write and performing artist with over 10 years international experience. Nina is a multiple slam winner, including the Kent Championship Slam. Her debut poetry collection Llama on the Loose was published by Whisky & Beards in 2021 and her solo poetry show of the same name toured across Kent in 2018. She has featured in projects commissioned by The Marlowe Theatre and the Philharmonia Orchestra. Her work featured nationally on BBC Sounds as part of The Best of Upload 2020.
Ten Poets. Ten minutes each. With two Comperes – Sarah L Dixon (The Quiet Compere) and Hilda Sheehan (not sure how quiet she will be ;))
Check out the line-up here:
Angie Belcher:
Angie Belcher is an award winning stand-up poet (finalist best female UK newcomer 2015, Finalist best Spoken Word Show North East Theatre Review)Equally at home on the stand-up circuit as in a posh tent at a literature festival “Razor sharp tight observational routine with a high laughter content” B247, Angie presents naughty stanzas and awkward stories “A sharply Observed act, the audience laughed appreciatively and immoderately throughout” Bath Chronicle. An accomplished comedy performer Mythical Creature is her second Edinburgh show. (**** Fringe Review, Part stand-up, part poet part stylised story telling all hugely entertaining” John Fleming, “Highly recommended, go see her”, Phil Jupitus) She was also Team Captain for political comedy panel show Comedy Manifesto during its Edinburgh run (Unbelievably jealous of all those of you that can catch this show every day’ ***** (BroadwayBaby.com).
Stephen Daniels is editor of Amaryllis poetry, his kids describe his poetry as “deep”, Hilda Sheehan once described it as “celebrating the darkness of what makes us human”, her alter ego Grishilda said it was like discovering “varicose veins”… you decide!
Carrie’s most recent collection, Imagined Sons (Seren, 2014), was shortlisted for the Ted Hughes Award for New Work in Poetry by The Poetry Society, and her new chapbook, Scar (Shearsman, 2016), explores the effects of climate change on her home state of Illinois. Besides literature of all kinds, she loves teaching, wine, travel, science fiction, cats, and summer.
No-one is quite sure why Sam Loveless started to write or perform poetry. More certain is his re-appearance as a poet in Swindon shortly after the turn of the decade. Between now and then he has spent time listening to an increasing number of poets. To this end, he now indulges in radio presentations and compering. He has now amassed enough poetry of his own to perform a little more often.
Cristina Navazo-Eguía Newton had two collections in Spanish before her first in English, Cry Wolf, received a Straid award and is published by Templar Poetry.
Maurice Spillane is Swindon’s token Irish poet – how cosmopolitan is that? His latest collection “The Game Parade” celebrates country life along the Wiltshire Downs.
Ciarán is described as “Thoughtful and punchy” and “One of the most exciting faces to appear in the North West circuit in a long time”
Ciarán Hodgers is an award-winning poet, performer and creative mentor. Performed and published around the UK and Ireland he was part of the inaugural Team Manchester at the National UK Poetry Slam, finalist of the Poetry Rival Slam with Burning Eye books and three time finalist of Manchester’s own Word War slams.
Anne Caldwell:
Anne Caldwell grew up in the north-west of England and has been a keen reader all her life. Her poetry has been published in a range of anthologies – Poet’s Cheshire (Headland) and The Nerve (Virago) and three books by Cinnamon Press who also published her first full length collection. Her work has appeared in many British magazines including Writing Women, The North, Poetry Wales and Quattrocento. Anne finished an MA in writing poetry at Manchester Metropolitan University in 2007 and performs all over the UK. She won an award to attend the Wired Writing Programme at The Banff Centre in Canada in 2008 and published a pamphlet with Happenstance. Until recently, she also ran a company called Sources that specialised in using text and visual art together with digital artist Jack Lockhart. More recently, Anne was a Lecturer in creative writing at The University of Bolton and also worked for NAWE, The National Association for Writers in Education. (www.nawe.co.uk) as their Deputy Director. She is currently undertaking a PhD. Her new book of poetry is called ‘Painting the Spiral Staircase’. (Cinnamon, Spring 2016). She currently works as Literature Programme Manager in the North of England for the British Council.
Support Poets: Steph Portersmith, and 5 TBC – 6 minute spots available through messaging me.
Support Poets pay half price on the door.
£3 on the door is split three ways between both the guests and myself as host/promoter and to cover printing costs.
Access to venue is by a double flight of stairs and no lift is available. Apologies to anyone with accessibility issues, but thought I should let you know in advance. I used to have an accesible venue, but moved from there due to them cancelling on the night (twice)
Tuesday 12th July 2016 at The Lloyds, Chorlton, Manchester. £3 on the door.
Emma McGordon is published by Tall Light House and Black suede Boot Press. She is a Penned in the Margins Generation TXt poet and has performed internationally. She is also a former Northern Young Writer of the Year. She is currently working on her first spoken word theatre show with support from Arts Council England.
A Saddleworth resident, Hilary has been writing poetry since 2008. She is currently studying for an MA in Creative Writing at Manchester Metropolitan University. Hilary has been involved in several poetry projects, including Manchester Cathedral’s ‘Write the Cathedral’ and, most recently, A New Manchester Alphabet which was published in December 2015. Hilary enjoys writing from her own experience and has been published by The Interpreter’s House, Avis and Beautiful Dragons Press. She has been long listed in the 2016 YorkMix competition and is involved in two collaborations with composers — the Rosamond Prize in Manchester and the Leeds Lieder Competition. Hilary loves attending workshops, readings and being a member of a local poetry Stanza and she is one of the Seven Spelks — a poetry group fuelled by friendship!
copland smith:
copland smith, always small case, poet, musician, playwright, Guardian letter-writer and creative writing teacher. Born in Liverpool in 1953, now lives in Manchester, as do his 4 daughters. • twice a runner-up in The National Poetry Competition. • published in many magazines including Ambit, Outposts, Orbis, The Rialto, North, The Cricketer, The South Manchester reporter… • first collection of poems, one-eyed seller of garlic, was published in 1994. currently writing a book called “The 42 rules of writing”. Rule 42 is Ignore all earlier rules. • He runs Manky Poets in Chorlton, Manchester. 3rd Friday every month.
Support Poets: Rachel Davies, Fokkina McDonnell, Penny Sharman, more TBC.
6 minute support spots available. £3 on the door to cover promotion and printing costs and refreshment for the guests.
